The National Audit Office has published the findings of their inquiry into how government departments are implementing the Compact in their work.
Announced as part of the accountability and transparency measures which accompanied the renewed Compact in 2010, the inquiry highlights some key issues and makes a number of recommendations to improve departmental activities.
Simon Blake OBE, chair of Compact Voice, said:
“We are delighted that the Compact is supported by government departments and that the NAO have found good examples of it being applied. However the report also identifies gaps that must be addressed. We expect the Government to implement the recommendations in full and we will be pressing the Minister on this.
In particular the report highlights that there needs to be more visible leadership on the Compact both in OCS and across Whitehall. This echoes the findings of our 2011 annual survey and remains the most important issue. We will also expect government departments to undertake work to identify the degree of their Compact compliance, as it is important that government departments know whether they are successfully implementing the Compact.”
The report’s findings also include:
- The Compact is supported by government departments and there are good examples of it being applied
- There is little evidence that the implementation of the Compact in central government is fundamentally flawed
- Leadership is not always visible in government departments, with recommendations that more needs to be done to increase “visible promotion and oversight … by senior department officials”.
- 40% of consultations issued since the renewed Compact was launched had shorter than 12 week time periods.
- There are concerns with the lack of clarity about the Office for Civil Society’s role regarding the Compact, with the lack of a full time staff member dedicated to it.
The full report can be read on the NAO website
The Cornwall Compact has provided successful mediation in the past and continues to have new members sign up to the agreement. If you would like more information on the Cornwall Compact, please visit our website. Alternatively if you would like to speak to someone about how the Compact can benefit you, please contact our Compact Development Officer Keltie Seaber on keltie.seaber@cornwallvsf.org or 07540 122442.
The Cornwall Compact is an agreement between the public and voluntary sectors in Cornwall. It sets out how the two partners should work together for the greater good of society.
